Does being a mounted hunt follower...

[Dogstar]

make you more likely to be 'gung ho' in other areas of life, do you think? I wonder whether being used to raised endorphines, due to hunting weekly for years, means that hunt followers don't worry about/notice danger quite the same as non-adrenaline junkies??

 

[tootsietoo]

Interesting question Dogstar! I think it's more the other way round. That people who are natural adrenaline junkies are drawn to hunting. I know plenty of people who have given up because it just scares them too much. But it does perhaps give you confidence in other areas. If you have had to "screw your courage to the sticking place" in front of a big fence when you don't know what's the other side, then perhaps you feel you can muster up the same confidence to confront people if you need to, or make a tricky decision.

One reason I want to keep hunting, and why I'd like my children to hunt, is that it's one of the very few things you can do in life that is a bit out of control, and a bit removed from modern life and all the usual elf and safety restrictions. It is complete escapism!

 

[JenHunt]

Interesting question Dogstar! I think it's more the other way round. That people who are natural adrenaline junkies are drawn to hunting. I know plenty of people who have given up because it just scares them too much. But it does perhaps give you confidence in other areas. If you have had to "screw your courage to the sticking place" in front of a big fence when you don't know what's the other side, then perhaps you feel you can muster up the same confidence to confront people if you need to, or make a tricky decision.

One reason I want to keep hunting, and why I'd like my children to hunt, is that it's one of the very few things you can do in life that is a bit out of control, and a bit removed from modern life and all the usual elf and safety restrictions. It is complete escapism!

what tootsietoo says! especially the last bit!

 

[Baggybreeches]

^^^ Wot they said ^^^

 

[Sanolly]

Agreed!

By the way I haven't been out on a proper hunt yet and it already scares the pants off me!!

 

[mrsew]

Well I think I am a tad pathetic...I will happily hunt but put me in an SJ ring and I turn to jelly (OK xc though!!!)...xx

 

[combat_claire]

I found that after my rare forays mounted onto the hunting field that I was more confident in my riding generally. After all if I could just about survive 4/5 hours of fast work on a fit hunter then a hack across Exmoor or a lesson wasn't going to be a problem!

 

[Baggybreeches]

Well I think I am a tad pathetic...I will happily hunt but put me in an SJ ring and I turn to jelly (OK xc though!!!)...xx

My mum is exactly the same, and bizarrely I will quite happily get on a strange horse and tackle chase fences in a race, but once show jumps get to 1.20m I start cacking my pants however good the horse is (and I have been 'proper' SJ for 25+ years) ????

 

[tootsietoo]

oh my god yes, same for me with the coloured poles in an arena! I think that is what started our downward spiral of confidence problems this season - we had a bad show jumping lesson where we totally overfaced ourselves I was petrified!

And I am not really an adrenaline junkie at all, but I do want to do my best to keep hunting even if it is scaring me a bit right now, for that feeling at the end of a good day. It's worth a bit of fear!

very pleased to have at least 3 "wot TT said"s up there!

 

[cptrayes]

What TT said !!

Definitely the other way around. Thrill seekers go hunting because they are thrill seekers. It isn't the hunting that makes them a thrill seeker.

On the other hand, if you hunt with one like my drag pack, where there is always a way round and no-one is forced to jump to stay with the hounds, then it's possible to use the excitement of the day, and a forward going horse because it wants to stay with the others, to increase the size of fence that you are happy to tackle. I've got friends who would not jump at all at first now happy to pop a hunt fence, so it does work to increase your confidence too, even if you aren't a thrill seeker.

 

[Dogstar]

Hmm I reckon it was the other way round with me, just to be awkward...I used to be petrified the whole time but now I don't notice the fear very often (just have odd moments of 'agh what am I doing, this is pure madness!!'
I also enjoy a good riot (went to the student riots to see what was going on, missiles flying over my head!) so I think hunting has ruined me!

 

[Cat&Mouse]

Well I think I am a tad pathetic...I will happily hunt but put me in an SJ ring and I turn to jelly (OK xc though!!!)...xx

I thought it was just me but I am completely the same, people think we are mad hunting but I don't get any nerves hunting its like going for an exciting hack.

 

[Daddy_Long_Legs]

Hunting has made me braver! I'm nuts out hunting. Especially when we are actually hunting, go go go!

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

I wouldn't say it is just you Dogstar, I know that I have become lots more confident and looking for a bit more off an adventure since really starting hunting, alltho I kinda think that side has always been there if that makes sense? Considering last before last season I only really liked showjumping allthough only like up to 1.10, and it was ONLY my spotty pony I would jump over anything solid as long as under 1m, and just generally fairly shy, well I took her out ( had been a few odd times) to try and sweeten her up and totally totally fell in love with hunting, hunted 3 diff horses last season and this season have hunted 8 diff horses so far some having not ridden before, and jumped them all! Still do get nervous at times but def better when hounds are running my general confidence has just got loads better in talking to pep and trying to find adventure some were! I now just totally love hunt and couldn't imangine not doin it, alltho interestingly enough I actaully do get alot more nervous before sj rather than xc now, think it's because I start worrying about the stride too much, did give myself a little talk round a discovery course last feb, tellin myself to keep kicking as the last fence o jumped on the horse was a 3"6 rail as it's 2nd hunt fence so I'm sure I can jump it round a 3"3 course!!!

Sorry post is soo long started to waffle, whoops!!!